The Best Dive Bars in Brooklyn
Montero’s Bar & Grill
73 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn Heights
“We don’t have a lot of foot traffic,” the bartender here told us recently—at least not in this weather, when no one’s at the park or riding the ferry. Way down by the waterfront—one of the last remaining bars in an area that used to be full of them, to service all the longshoremen from the nearby shipyards—it’s a trek from any subway station, and that’s part of what it makes it appealing; also, there’s the cluttered decor’s nautical theme (the Times once called it a “waterfront museum with alcohol”), the no-nonsense booze (they don’t even have taps), and the classic, preserved interior, not to mention the famous and beloved neon sign out front. People make special trips just to get here, taking cabs or buses or long hikes, because it’s just that special.